Giving Thanks and Thanksgiving Booklist

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Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday. As an emigrant from a country who does not take the time to stop and give thanks where thanks are due, I have a particular appreciation for this day. I love that it is in the middle of the week, I love to be able to start with Mass, the ultimate thanksgiving, I love that families and friends gather together and I love that it is not about stuff!
It is about food, yes, but it is not about getting stuff, giving stuff, it’s about getting together and thanking the Lord for our blessings.

Giving thanks

Why is it right to dedicate a whole day to giving thanks? We teach our children to say please and thank you, but very often as an adult we forget to say thank you. I love to have a day dedicated to reflecting on all the good things in my life, on all the blessings. It helps me reset my mind and my attitude. Sometimes, especially when things are hard, I focus only on the negative, on the hard and the difficult. With a day focused on giving thanks, it refreshes me. Being refreshed in that way is so good for us mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It helps us have a much better attitude towards life.

How do we teach our children to give thanks?

There are two kinds of giving thanks that we need to teach our children. The first one is the basic etiquette one, as in please and thank you. That one is essential for a life well lived and to get along with people around us. You cannot interact in any social circles without it.
And then there is the giving thanks that takes place at Thanksgiving where we spend the time to reflect and to be truly grateful for our blessings and who and what we have in our lives. We should really do this daily, it would change our lives. This is the most important thanks giving we can teach our children. This is the one that helps us live a life worth living.

Practical tips

Here are a few things I have learned about giving thanks. Let’s give thanks to God for all of our blessings: emotional, physical, material and spiritual. I have found it more impactful to keep a journal and every night to write at least one thing in each of these sections. Being able to revisit this journal always brings a smile to my face and helps me recognize how blessed I am. Try keeping a Gratitude Journal.
Year ago I really enjoyed One Thousand Gifts: Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp. The Little Book of Holy Gratitude by Fr. Frederick Faber is wonderful as well. It really helped me be more intentional about gratitude.

How to help our children be more grateful

We can help our children be more grateful by teaching them to duplicate what we do with giving thanks daily in the same four areas: emotional, physical, material and spiritual. They do not need to start a journal, but as soon as they can speak we can start teaching to say thank you to the Lord for the little and big things that took place during the day. I usually start with very easy things, such as “thank you for a beautiful day”, “thank you for mommy and daddy”, etc…. Little ones find this lovely and as they grow they can start keeping a journal. The habit of gratitude is something sadly missing in our world today. Let’s change that. Also, teaching gratitude prevents entitlement.

And then… picture books

Unfortunately there aren’t very many picture books about gratitude, most Thanksgiving books focus on the historical events or the holiday itself with food and games. 

Here are two that we like:

• Grandad’s Prayers of the Earth, by Douglas Wood, illustrated by J.P. Lynch
  A young boy takes many walks with his grandfather discussing many things, especially prayer. But when Grandad dies, his grandson is lost, until he finds gratitude. Beautifully illustrated, and very well written it combines nature, prayer and gratitude. Lovely.
• Bear Says Thanks, by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
  I love the Bear books, they are wonderful in general. The whimsical illustrations and Bear’s character make them lovely read aloud for the younger children. All of bear’s friends show up one at a time, bringing something special, and it all ends up in a party, where each guest is grateful for the others.

Which brings us to…

a list of Thanksgiving picture books! The historical significance of Thanksgiving is very important to teaching gratitude but also to our identity as Americans. Here are a few of our favorite picture books to celebrate with.

• Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrated by Matt Faulkner
  This is the story of Sarah Hale, the brave woman who reached out to not one but 5 presidents to make Thanksgiving a national holiday! And triumphed. The text is fun and well written with an ounce of humor, and the illustrations carry the point home. 

• The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Helen Sewell
  The story of the first Thanksgiving as seen through the eyes of the Hopkins children from their setting foot on the Mayflower to the first harvest feast in the New World. Helen Sewell’s nostalgic illustrations make this book a treasure.
• Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving, by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Greg Shed
  The story of the first Thanksgiving seen through the eyes of Squanto, a native American who had befriended the Pilgrims. As always, Joseph Bruchac depicts native cultures with accuracy and beauty, bringing to life their values and traditions. Greg Shed’s realistic illustrations give life to the story.
• An Outlaw Thanksgiving by Emily Arnold McCully
  The true story of Clara Maher’s Thanksgiving with the famous outlaws of Brown’s Hole. This is a wonderful tale of a stranger’s generosity, and what came of it. This true story brings the spirit of Thanksgiving right to your living room. So good! Emily Arnold McCully excels at historical accounts and her illustrations do not disappoint. 
• Last but not least: A Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin.
  This one is a time capsule of its own, straight from the 1970s! I love the illustrations SO much! They are the best! The whimsical story is also wonderful. I want to look like Grandmother when I grow old, lol!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope you find some new treasures in this short booklist that will help you celebrate Thanksgiving in style! But please remember to give thanks the whole year round and see how gratitude changes your life.
Love,
Mattie